After the Summer Rain by Gerri Hill

Author:Gerri Hill [Hill, Gerri]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781642470710
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2019-09-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Seven

They didn’t make it back to the cabin before the rain hit. Oh, a good long sprint would have done it, but instead, Melanie led them into the shed and they ducked inside. The chickens and goats had already taken cover and she moved past the chicken coop to the goats’ stall, rubbing Nora on the nose. Rosie was sticking her face between the slats that separated their stall from the rest of the shed. She was apparently looking for Erin as her big eyes darted around.

“That hit quick.”

Melanie glanced at Erin, who was running her hands over her damp hair. “Yes. This early in the summer, it usually stops just as quickly too.” She moved to the stack of square hay bales and sat down as the rain pelted the roof.

“Why do you call this ‘the shed’ and not ‘the barn,’” Erin asked. She moved closer, leaning against the goats’ stall.

“I don’t know. It started out as a shed, I guess. The chickens and goats came later, so it’s been added on to twice. I guess it is more barn than shed now.”

Erin reached out, touching her fingers to Rosie’s nose, smiling as the young goat’s tail wiggled. “So the twins are not really good for anything, are they?”

“After they were born, I was supposed to continue milking Carly, to keep her lactating. But I don’t really like milk and it was too much trouble to make cheese and yogurt, so I gave it up. So no, they are pets only. They keep the weeds down, that’s about it.”

“And your rosebushes trimmed.”

“True. And they provide manure for the garden.”

Erin wrinkled up her nose. “Yeah—my favorite job, mucking the stall,” she said with a laugh. “That was pretty mean of you.”

“Yeah, it was.”

A loud clap of thunder seemed to rattle the shed and the goats huddled farther away from the door as rain blew inside. The chickens—all twelve of them—were already up on their roost.

“It’s gotten colder.”

She nodded. “These early afternoon storms usually don’t linger long. The sun will be back out and it’ll warm up again.”

Erin sat down beside her on the hay bale. “Is this the beginning?”

“Of the summer rains? Probably. It’s time. We’re into July already.”

“So every afternoon, these storms pop up?”

“Yes, most days. And sometimes it’ll rain all night long. Those are my favorite nights, as long as it’s not a thunderstorm,” she said, smiling at Erin. “The best sleeping. You’ll love it.”

“Hard to believe I’ve been here over a month already.”

“I know.” She crossed her arms and leaned back. “Are you homesick yet?”

“Surprisingly, no. The first few days, I was feeling sort of…well, not homesick, really. Kinda lost, I guess.”

“Out of your element, I believe is what you said.”

“Yes. I was feeling incredibly lonely, like a lost soul…Like I didn’t belong anywhere. Not there, not here. Like I was suspended in time, drifting about, not knowing where to land. Not knowing if I should land at all.” Erin leaned back too, next to her. “I’m comfortable now.

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